Late in 2011 the small town of Erciş in the north-east corner of Lake Van was struck by a terrible earthquake that destroyed much of the town centre. The town’s only historic monument was a kümbet dating back to 1458 and housing the remains of Kadem Hatun Paşa, the mother of one of the Karakoyunlu rulers. It was visible beside the road on the left as you approached Erciş from Van. I don’t know if it survived the earthquake.
Erciş was also the kicking-off point for visits to the mountain village of Ulu Pamir, interesting more for the unexpectedness of its Kirghiz residents than for the beauty of its architecture.
Transport info
There were dolmuşes from Adilcevaz to Erciş which was also served by dolmuşes from Van. Taxi drivers at the bus station were familiar with the road to Ulu Pamir. Hopefully these services have resumed operations.
Day trip destinations
